Becky S. Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Hello. Yesterday I adopted an older Oscar from a local store. He had been donated to the store 1 month ago. The mate had since died at the store shortly after they were dropped off there. He has been treated for significant head trauma or disease, and the staff said he actually looks better now 😞. There at the store (and here) he just sits at the bottom of the tank and won't eat. He currently has a 55 gallon tank to himself. I really want to get another large Oscar to encourage him to move abt but these damn fish are so unpredictable. I've sat near the tank and try to engage him and I even play fish videos for him and nothin. Thoughts? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 On 11/12/2023 at 5:25 PM, Becky S. said: He has been treated for significant head trauma or disease It looks like hole in the head disease, pretty classically. Sometimes the damage can be to the severity where it's permanent. cc @Odd Duck or @Colu , can you please verify this for us!? I commend you for trying to give this fish a better home and I have my fingers crossed for the both of you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becky S. Posted November 13, 2023 Author Share Posted November 13, 2023 Thank you! Any thoughts on how to get him to eat?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 On 11/12/2023 at 10:58 PM, Becky S. said: Thank you! Any thoughts on how to get him to eat?? I think it's a product called entice. It's basically garlic that you dip the food in and it should encourage the fish to eat it. Garlic guard is a similar product and should have a similar effect. Oscars are known to be a pretty temperamental fish. Rachel O'Leary would affectionately call her fish "Mr. Crankypants" and other keepers have reported that they can be moody. Just be persistent, keep trying, and hopefully the fish starts to get comfortable in the new situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 (edited) Look like a bad case of hole in the head some debate as to what causes hole in the head supposedly link between active carbon it can cause fish to stop eating try using garlic guard or entice that @nabokovfan87 suggested to get him to eat and do a course of metroplex in food feeding a small amount twice a day for a minimum of three weeks if he's not eating I would dose the tank with metronidazole that's the active ingredient in metroplex if you don't have live plants I would add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons that will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes and add an extra air stone during treatment @Becky S. Edited November 13, 2023 by Colu 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becky S. Posted November 13, 2023 Author Share Posted November 13, 2023 Thank you all so much for your advice! Much appreciated!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 Exactly as @Colu has recommended. If he’s not eating, dose the Metroplex in the water. If you can get him to eat, dose in the food. Also make sure he’s getting enough vitamin C since there is some evidence it may play a part. It’s not certain how much of a part that plays or even confirmed if that’s real or a bit of a myth.  But the vitamin C won’t hurt as long as you don’t go crazy with it. Most fish foods will have enough if they have some vegetable content (not grain, but veggies or even algae like spirulina has it). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 (edited) On 11/13/2023 at 1:24 PM, Odd Duck said: Exactly as @Colu has recommended. If he’s not eating, dose the Metroplex in the water. If you can get him to eat, dose in the food. Also make sure he’s getting enough vitamin C since there is some evidence it may play a part. It’s not certain how much of a part that plays or even confirmed if that’s real or a bit of a myth.  But the vitamin C won’t hurt as long as you don’t go crazy with it. Most fish foods will have enough if they have some vegetable content (not grain, but veggies or even algae like spirulina has it). As a sidenote, garlic guard may have some added vitamin C. Edit: yep! "Also contains Vitamin C, a strong anti-oxidant" Edited November 13, 2023 by nabokovfan87 confirmed details 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted November 14, 2023 Share Posted November 14, 2023 (edited) That is HITH. Lots of clean water and metro! I wouldn't worry about him eating at this particular moment. He will let you know when he is ready. Keep us posted,I have a soft spot for oscars and lost one when my care slipped when I left for college. He quit eating for a VERY long time and when he died he still weighed 2.5 pounds. Fish can go a long time without food. Clean water is far more important right now. Edited November 14, 2023 by jwcarlson 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becky S. Posted November 14, 2023 Author Share Posted November 14, 2023 Such great advice and help! Thanks so much! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 @Guppysnail can we move this to the disease section and help get eyes on it in case anything comes up! Many thanks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 I never have kept Oscars or any chiclids really. But when fish are depressed enrich their environment and see how they react, my old Betta fish, Cloud was depressed for some time, I floated a ping pong ball to see how he would react he swam up right to it and started attacking and flaring at it (I even saw my orocinclus cling to it at one point), soon after, he started eating again and flaring more. If your fish is depressed you should probably monitor further and look around to find the best options for enrichment or entertainment to attempt to cure his/her melancholic attitude. His colors look like they are on a brighter scale so he looks fine but again I don't know a lot about chiclids so I wouldn't know if color is affected. Hope this helps and all the best for you and your fish! Looking at the photo I see what you mean by head trauma but out of curiosity, how long ago was he injured and how severely? Those look like lost scales on its forehead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quikv6 Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 Hey Becky, Great advice here for sure. Definitely looks like Hole-in-the-head, which is traditionally treated with very clean water and MetroPlex, preferably in the food. There is a theory that HITH becomes prevalent when blackwater fish that are from uber-clean environments in nature with little to no nitrates and very low hardness, are then exposed to hard water and a higher-nitrate aquarium environment. I think clean water is a great start here. Oscars ARE MESSY. As for the eating....don't stress too hard....but I have never ever seen an Oscar pass up a yummy earthworm / red wiggler. My adult Oscar goes nuts for em....even when he's moody....which is VERY often. He will eat sooner or later....but try an earthworm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quikv6 Posted November 17, 2023 Share Posted November 17, 2023 Hey @Becky S. Any update on the big O? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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